Summa de Ecclesia

Although the testimonies of sacred scripture adduced ought to suffice for proving the primacy of blessed Peter, and the superiority of his authority over the other apostles, and consequently over all the other faithful, nevertheless for the fuller illustration of the truth we shall take care to demonstrate it by open reasons, beginning from the most blessed apostle Peter. First thus. With natural reason dictating and experience teaching, we see that any wise father of a family, having several sons, lest he leave his family confused and without order, sets some one as it were firstborn over the rest, whom he makes universal heir, but the others particular heirs under him, just as in Gen. 27 Isaac says to his son Jacob, to whom he had given the rights of the firstborn: Be thou lord of thy brethren. Therefore it seems that likewise the most wise father of a family, Christ, whose sons are all who believe in him according to that of John 1: He gave them power to become sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who also says to all the apostles: You are brethren, Matt. 23, must so be believed to have done, lest he leave his family confused without a ruler, that he set some one man over the other apostles as prelate and shepherd. But Peter was of this kind, as the testimonies of sacred scripture which we adduced in the preceding chapter most openly designate. Hence Cyril, a most distinguished man and doctor, upon that of Luke 22: I have prayed for thee, Peter, that thy faith fail not, thus says: Christ, passing over the rest, came to Peter as set over the rest. Secondly thus. He to whom it was committed by Christ to confirm or strengthen his other brethren when failing and wavering in faith seems to have received primacy and masterly authority over the others from the Lord. But to blessed Peter the apostle it was committed by Christ that he should establish and strengthen in faith his other brethren, the apostles and disciples of Christ, if it should happen that they wavered or failed in faith, according to that of Luke 22: And thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren. Therefore blessed Peter had primacy over the apostles. Hence blessed Cyril, treating that word, Thou being once converted confirm thy brethren, as if saying: after thou hast denied me thou shalt weep, and if thou repentest strengthen thy other brethren, since I have appointed thee prince of the apostles; for this befits one who art strength with me and rock of the Church. Thirdly thus. He to whose care and rule in the time of the apostles the whole flock of the Lord was committed by Christ, over all who then were and were to be of the flock of the Lord, had or obtained primacy; but to the care and rule of blessed Peter the whole flock of the Lord was committed by Christ when he said to Peter in John last: Simon, feed my sheep, distinguishing neither these nor those, and the apostles themselves are by no means to be reckoned outside the flock of the Lord, but to be counted within; therefore blessed Peter had primacy and principate over the apostles. The consequence is plain. Fourthly thus. The head is known to have primacy over all the members; but blessed Peter was head of the apostles. Hence in John 1 Christ says to Peter: Thou shalt be called Cephas, which indeed in the Greek tongue means head. For blessed Anacletus says, as is had in ch. Sacrosancta, dist. 22, that among the blessed apostles there was a certain distinction of power, and although all are apostles, yet to Peter it was granted that he be set over all the other apostles, and that the apostolate hold Cephas, that is headship and principate. And by the same reasoning it is gathered from that chapter of blessed Pope Leo, Thus the Lord, dist. 19; therefore it follows that blessed Peter had primacy over all the other apostles. Fifthly thus. Blessed Peter had received power from Christ to rule and govern all the apostles and the other faithful, with blessed Gregory as witness, as is had in ch. Peter, 2, q. 7, who says: Peter had received the power of ruling, and yet the same first of the apostles, though complaint was made against him by the faithful, etc.; therefore it follows that blessed Peter the apostle had principate over all the other apostles and the rest of the faithful. Sixthly, this same is most openly attested by the testimony of the whole Church, which universally sings to him: Thou art the shepherd of the sheep, prince of the apostles; to thee God delivered the keys of the kingdom of heaven.